I first saw Curtis on television many years ago in a program called Surfing the Menu which involved travelling around different surf breaks and exploring food destinations and cooking along the way. It was a funny and entertaining program. In Australia he is known as the face of Coles one of our leading supermarkets, for them he puts together recipe ideas for under $10. It was only recently when he appeared on an episode of Masterchef that I discovered that he had trained with Marco Pierre White and had a distinguished professional background.

The chapters are divided into different categories that focus on things like saving time, cooking to a budget, cooking during the week and cooking on weekends with a focus on fresh and healthy recipes. Every dish is illustrated which I find a must in a good cookbook as seeing the dish is often what sells me on cooking it. The photos are great and give a good idea about presenting each of the dishes.

It keeps things SIMPLE, yet there are a host of new and flavourful recipes to use for dinners, whether you cook ahead for yourself or feed a family. Most of the recipes feature vegetables cooked together or along side the meat course, which encourages you and your family to get those five servings a day, but in an easy fashion because you don't have to worry about the side dish. The vegetables are right in there, so it makes a balanced meal a lot easier.

There is something in this book for everyone, it doesnt need profound cooking skills and hits the mark in terms of feeding a family with home cooked food and managing the constraints of time and budget. I have included two recipes below but I have already selected several more that I want to try. Well worth a look in the bookstore and would make a good gift.

Turkey Meatballs with Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 c olive oil

3 shallots finely chopped

6 cloves garlic minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 c dry white wine

1kg ripe tomatoes coarsely chopped

1/2 c fresh basil, coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatballs:

1kg ground turkey

1/2 c plain panko breadcrumbs

2 shallots finely chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

3 T fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

2 T fresh thyme chopped

1/4 c olive oil

3 shallots finely chopped

6 cloves garlic minced

6 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 c dry white wine

4 pounds ripe red heirloom or plum tomatoes coarsely chopped

1/2 c fresh basil, coarsely chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper2 T Dijon mustard

2 t salt

1 egg (large)

1/4 c canola oil

1 wedge Parmesan cheese

Directions

Tomato Sauce

Heat the oil in a heavy wide pot over medium-high heat.

Add the shallots and garlic and sauté until tender about 2 minutes.

Add the thyme and bay leaf.

Add the wine and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

Simmer very gently uncovered over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until the tomatoes break down to form a chunky sauce (you may need to add a little water during the cooking process if the sauce thickens too much) about 1½ hours.

Stir in the basil.

Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.

Celebrity chef Curtis Stone, host of Bravo’s hugely popular series Top Chef Masters, knows life can get a little crazy. But as a new dad, he also believes that sitting down to a home-cooked meal with family and friends is one of life’s greatest gifts. In his fifth cookbook, Curtis offers both novice cooks and seasoned chefs mouthwatering recipes and easy-to-make meals for every night of the week. And he breaks them down into seven simple categories: • Motivating Mondays: Healthy meals that start the week off right—Fennel-Roasted Chicken and Winter Squash with Endive-Apple Salad; Grilled Shrimp and Rice Noodle Salad • Time-Saving Tuesdays: Quick and easy recipes for simple meals—Steak and Green Bean Stir-Fry with Ginger and Garlic; Grilled Pork Chops and Vegetable Gratin with Caper-Parsley Vinaigrette • One-Pot Wednesdays: Flavorful dishes with minimal cleanup—Chicken and Chorizo Paella; Rosemary Salt-Crusted Pork Loin with Roasted Shallots, Potatoes, Carrots, and Parsnips • Thrifty Thursdays: Yummy meals on a budget—Sliders with Red Onion Marmalade and Blue Cheese; Roasted Cauliflower, Broccoli, and Pasta Bake with Cheddar • Five-Ingredient Fridays: Fun, fast recipes to kick off the weekend—Grilled Harissa Lamb Rack with Summer Succotash; Seared Scallops and Peas with Bacon and Mint • Dinner Party Saturdays: Extraordinary dishes to share with friends and family—Asian Crab Cakes with Mango Chutney; Mushroom Ragout on Creamy Grits • Family Supper Sundays: Comforting, slow-simmering food for relaxing around the table—Southern Fried Chicken; Barbecued Spareribs with Apple-Bourbon Barbecue Sauce And don’t forget sweet treats such as Peach and Almond Cobbler and Olive Oil Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote. Loaded with enticing photos, What’s for Dinner? will inspire you and bring confidence to your kitchen and happiness to your table.Praise for What’s for Dinner? “Designed to help make meal time easy, fun and tasty despite everyone’s hectic schedules.”—People “Full of simple recipes for every busy night of the week.”—The Kansas City Star “Stone delivers simple recipes, many of which can be made (start to finish) in less than 40 minutes.”—The Atlanta Journal-Constitution “What could be better than having a new arsenal of Stone's recipes at your fingertips? . . . Charming for both his accent and kitchen knowledge, this man is as down to earth as they come.”—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel “Curtis Stone gets it. . . . Family favorites, fresh ingredients, and simple prep—all of which is on display on every page of his beautiful book.”—Jenny Rosenstrach, author of Dinner: A Love Story “A visionary and entrepreneur, he hopes to inspire individuals to ditch the drive-thru and start firing up their ovens at home. . . . A day-to-day guide packed with easy, mouthwatering recipes for every night of the week.”—Spry Living “The book features a ton of delicious recipes organized by a different theme for every day of the week.”—D MagazineFrom the Hardcover edition.